Gone Forever
by Shayla Zajac
Summary: Post-AJ. Klavier says he can handle dealing with Kristoph's crimes and subsequent execution. But Apollo doesn't need his bracelet to see that he's lying to everyone, himself included. When Klavier falls into old bad habits, can Apollo do anything? Or will he watch Klavier self-destruct? Drug use, pre-slash.
1. Chapter 1

Gone Forever

A/N: I wrote this to be the first chapter to a multi-chaptered fic (not a terribly long one, maybe 5 chapters at most) but when I was writing the ending I kind of see that it could work as a one-shot also. I'm still debating about continuing, I probably will but let me know what you think! This is also a songfic.

Song: Gone Forever, Three Days Grace

Warnings: Drug/alcohol use, Apollo/Klavier pre-slash if you squint.

Disclaimer: I do not own Apollo Justice or anything related to Ace Attorney.

* * *

"I'll be fine, Herr Forehead," Klavier said, brushing off Apollo's concern. Really, Klavier was almost annoyed with the amount of concern Apollo had been shoving at him recently. He was grateful that someone cared about him, of course, but all he wanted at the moment was to be left alone. And that was exactly what Apollo seemed reluctant to do.

"Well, if you're sure," Apollo said, tugging on his bracelet. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow in court then." With a nod from Klavier, he left. Now that he was alone, he almost wished Apollo had stayed. He was scared of his thoughts recently.

He sighed and started gathering his things. So what is Kristoph was dead? So what if his brother had finally received his death penalty that, quite honestly, he deserved a year ago? So what if the only reason he had attended Kristoph's burial was to make sure he was actually dead and in the ground where he belonged? He knew why Apollo was worried, but he just didn't care that his brother was dead. The way he saw it, his brother died years ago, before that cursed Gramarye case. The body he'd watched lower into the ground was an imposter. It wasn't his brother, not really. Just someone else with the name Kristoph Gavin, someone who was a psychopath. But not the brother he'd grown up with and loved.

He decided to leave his paperwork in the office. Klavier had a habit of not doing work at home anyways. He looked around his office and shrugged. He pulled on his jacket and headed out the door. As he got on his bike, he made a split second destination change. Klavier turned away from his apartment and headed to Gavin Estate.

Gavin Estate had been their family home from the time Klavier and Kristoph had first moved to America with their parents when Klavier was six. The next four years were some of the happiest times of Klavier's life. Everything changed when Konrad and Kamilla Gavin were killed by a drunk driver shortly after Klavier's tenth birthday. Kristoph suddenly found himself in charge of both Gavin Estate and his younger brother. The two boys did alright for themselves for a few years, living off the considerable amount of money their parents left them. Kristoph loved and cared for Klavier as best he could while studying law at University. But over time, Kristoph began growing distant, secretly resenting having to be a father so young, and Klavier, entering his teenage years, began to rebel.

Klavier sighed, looking at the photos hanging in the entrance hall, thinking back to his rebellious stage. He was sorry to say he fell into a bad crowd when he was 13. He started drinking every night with his friends, angry at his parents leaving him, angry at Kristoph for distancing himself, angry at the world in general. Drinking turned into smoking pot, which led to prescription pill popping, and finally to his lowest. He shuddered, thinking about the needles and small bottles of liquid he used to be so familiar with. He almost threw his whole high school career, and his whole life, away for those drunken moments he'd shoot up.

Kristoph saved him. Klavier would never forget the moment Kristoph found him nearly passed out in an alley, alone besides the needle he'd just shot up with. Kristoph didn't get mad, didn't yell or scream at him. Instead, he just picked Klavier up and said, "I'm sorry I didn't notice sooner and let it get so bad. You're going to get help and I'm going to be there the whole time."

Klavier stepped into the living room. His eyes immediately caught sight of the first photo over the fireplace. In it, he was a month shy of 14. He was standing next to Kris outside the rehab center he'd just been released from. With their golden hair and big, brilliant smiles, they could've lit up the world that day. Kristoph was genuinely glad to have his brother back and healthy, and Klavier was happy to be living life again, for being able to have a second chance.

He made a few decisions in rehab, and actually made a friend, too. Kristoph was not happy about his staying friends with someone he'd been in rehab with, but came to accept Daryan. Just a few months after being released, Klavier and Daryan made their way back to the Gavin home in Germany, taking nothing with them besides their guitars and a few law books, and Kristoph's blessing. They studied and wrote music and studied more and wrote more music until the Gavinners hit it big and Klavier had a license to prosecute in Germany. Klavier and Daryan made it back to the states after the first Gavinners tour, putting the band on hold while Klavier attended Themis Legal Academy and got his license to prosecute in California.

Klavier studied the next few photos, wondering why Kristoph had left them out. He couldn't picture Kris as being the nostalgic type, especially not with his most recent actions before going to jail. There was a photo of Klavier and Daryan in Germany, a photo of the band performing in London, a photo of Klavier and Kristoph reunited at the airport, a photo of Klavier, Kristoph and Daryan at Klavier's graduation from Themis, a photo of Klavier and Kris right before Klavier's first trial. Klavier picked up the last one and stared at it, rememebering his excitement to prosecute his first case in the states, his eagerness to prove himself to his brother. He remembered being disappointed when Kristoph told him he would not be defending that day. Klavier stared at it, his emotions rising in him, until he threw the photo against the opposite wall.

How could he have been so stupid? His blind, unwavering trust in Kristoph had cost Phoenix Wright his badge, had cost Trucy Enigmar her father. He paced the room, aggitated at himself, angry at Kristoph.

_Don't know what's going on_

_Don't know what went wrong_

_Feels like a hundred years I_

_Still can't believe you're gone_

Klavier goes to where he knows Kristoph stored his liquor, hidden and locked away from his younger brother with alcohol issues. Klavier discovered it during his time at Themis, although at the time he couldn't open it and didn't want to, knowing that just because he's recovered doesn't mean he's not still an alcoholic. Now, though, now he knows he'll need what's in there if he plans on staying in this house one more second. In the past, during moments like these, he would call his support partner. But, as luck would have it, Daryan's locked up. There's no one to tell him not to have a drink, besides a voice in his head that sounds suspiciously like Herr Forehead. But Apollo isn't actually here, doesn't know about his past, and Klavier is not done here. So he enters the code he's learned recently and grabs a bottle and a glass. He sets them on the table and stares at the glass for a moment, before shrugging and deciding to forego the glass. If he's going to do this, he might as well do it as a proper alcoholic. He grabs the bottle and makes his way down the hall.

Klavier heads to his old bedroom, passing Kristoph's on the way. He's not ready for that yet. He sits on his old bed and drinks a considerable amount straight from the bottle in one go. Klavier looks at the photo on his nightstand, one of him and Kristoph at Kristoph's office when he first opened it. He throws that one too, shattering the glass of the frame, and takes another drink. The liquor is starting to hit him, quicker than he thought, either because he hasn't drank for years or because the bottle's already more than half gone. He stumbles over to the collage he has hanging on the wall, stepping on the glass of the picture frame on the way, with only his socks to protect him. He curses and pulls the pieces of glass out of his right foot, shrugging when it starts to bleed. He finally makes it to the collage and looks at himself and Daryan staring out from every picture, another past for him to regret. Maybe Kristoph was right, maybe it wasn't smart for two former addicts to stay friends after rehab, and that thought leads him to take another gulp from his bottle. He wonders why Kristoph kept his room the same, why he never changed it after Klavier moved out. And he really can't stand the fucking grins on the faces of the two boys in the collage anymore, and tears it right down the middle, both halves falling to the ground. Satisfied, he stumbles back to his bed.

Klavier lies there for a minute, feeling better and worse at the same time, wondering why he stopped drinking and wondering why he started again tonight. He knows he should feel bad about it, or guilty. He has court in the morning, after all, and Herr Forehead is a formidable opponent when he's not hungover, and he's sure his actions will lead to a hangover in the morning. Maybe it's fitting, he thinks, that he stopped drinking for Kristoph, and started drinking again because of him. Klavier sighs and sits back up, finishes the rest of the bottle and takes off his coat. And sitting there in his tank top and leather pants, a thought starts to come to him in his hazy mind. Kristoph apparently never touched his room in all the time he's been gone. And if Kristoph hasn't touched his room, he likely hasn't pulled up Klavier's old stash. Klavier debates for a moment whether his brother would really not be smart enough to go through an ex-addict's room to search for drugs, and then decides it doesn't really matter, either the drugs are there or they're not.

He heads to his dresser, where he kept a small amount of pot as a decoy. Sure enough, he pulls open his top drawer and digs around and finds the baggie is gone. So Kristoph did think to search his room, and maybe he thought this was all Klavier had left. He turns back to his bed and moves it, sliding it to the other side of the room. And there, under what would've been the middle of the bed, is the loose floorboard where he kept his stuff, not visible unless you know it's there. And he's pretty sure Kristoph never knew it was there. He reaches for the floorboard, trying to make up his mind whether he really wants to do this. Drinking was one thing, but this? He knew if he did this, there might be no turning back this time. But the voice in his head doesn't sound like Apollo anymore, it sounds like Kristoph. And Kristoph is screaming at him, yelling and saying things he doesn't want to hear. And he's saying he wishes he never had a brother, especially not one so troublesome as Klavier, not one that caused him to spend a great amount of money shipping him off to rehab, not one that caused him to turn to forging evidence. And Klavier can't take it anymore, he doesn't want to listen to Kristoph anymore, and without thinking anymore about it he rips out the floorboard.

Klavier is relieved when he sees that Kris never found this, his hiding spot, his stash. There's enough under this floor to kill a person if they were to take it all at once. And as enticing as that sounds to Klavier, he really, really just wants to shut up Kristoph screaming in his head for the moment. So he grabs his dilaudid and a fresh needle and his tourniquet, and he sets them on the floor next to him. He replaces the floorboard and is about to tie on the tourniquet when his cell phone rings, and he pauses. He pulls it out of his coat and reads the display that announces _Apollo Justice_ is calling, and hovers his finger over the answer button. He wonders and he wonders whether he can tell Apollo, whether he can tell him what he's done and what he's about to do. He wants to, he wants to answer his phone and ask for help before he really gets started, the way he used to do with Daryan when one of them got bad. His phone stops ringing and Apollo doesn't leave a voicemail for him before he can make up his mind. He opens his contact list up and immediately scrolls to Apollo's name, wondering and wanting and wondering if he can call back right now and beg Apollo to help him. His finger is right over the call button when it starts to ring again. The display this time reads _Wright Anything Agency_. And now he remembers, Apollo is Wright's now. Apollo works for the man whose career he helped destroy, a man who has never done anything but the right thing, no pun intended, and was punished by Klavier's own brother for no explicable reason. And Klavier knows now that Apollo can't help him, won't help him, of course he wouldn't chose Klavier over his mentor. And so Klavier's thumb moves from the call button to the ignore button, and he hits it with no hesitation this time. He throws his phone back on his bed and continues what he was doing.

Kristoph is screaming louder than ever in his head as Klavier fills the syringe with liquid he's not bothering to measure, and Daryan is there now, demanding to know why Klavier couldn't see he needed help, and he pushes the plunger into his skin to shut them up, to get some peace. And he thinks maybe, just maybe, he hears Apollo in there, begging him not to do this, but then the drugs kick in and he's slipping out of conciousness, and he doesn't hear anything else.

_So I'll stay up all night_

_With these bloodshot eyes_

_While the walls surround me_

_With the story of our lives_

_I feel so much better_

_Now that you're gone forever_

_Tell myself that I don't miss you at all_

_I'm not lying, denying_

_That I feel so much better now that you're gone forever_

* * *

I realize Klavier might seem sort of OOC or that his feelings and behaviors escalated sort of quickly, but when you're in situations like this and you're a past addict, sometimes your thoughts really can shift around like this and move so quickly.

Anyways, please review and tell me what you think! I will take all criticism and suggestions! I haven't written for quite a while, so anything is helpful!

Shayla Zajac


	2. Chapter 2

I do not own Apollo Justice or Ace Attorney.

Also, I forgot to mention this is not only post-AJ, it's also post-DD. Athena won't be hugely involved, but I like her too much to leave her out.

* * *

Chapter 2

"Hey, I tried calling you last night," Apollo says as Klavier almost stumbles into the courthouse the next morning. Almost stumbles, not actually stumbles because that would be undignified. Klavier's head is pounding and he didn't have time for a shower this morning after he pulled himself off his hardwood floor with just enough time to make it to court. He wonders if Apollo can see right through him, can see that he's unclean and wearing the same clothes as yesterday. He thinks you don't need any special bracelet to see he looks like hell. But Apollo makes no comment about his appearance, so maybe he looks alright. Klavier keeps his sunglasses on in any case, because he thinks his eyes will give him away.

"Ja, I saw. Sorry, I fell asleep early. Must've been more tired than I thought. You ready for today? I'm not going to go easy on you," Klavier says as he flashes Apollo one of his brilliant smiles. He really hopes Apollo is ready and prepared, because he sure the hell is not. For one heart stopping moment, he thinks Apollo must know, with the way he moves slightly closer and just stares at Klavier, and the way he fidgets with his bracelet. Then he moves back and smiles slightly, and Klavier breathes a little easier.

"Of course. I have to be ready for anything with you." And then that look, that accursed look from yesterday is back, that damn concern that Klavier can't stand. He doesn't deserve concern, least of all from Apollo. "You're...you're sure you're alright though? You seem sort of ...distracted," he says, fidgeting with his bracelet some more.

"Ja, of course I am, Herr Forehead." Well, mostly he is. What he really wants is another drink, and then maybe he could handle this. But he knows it's stupid enough to go into court with a hangover, he definitely can't go in there drunk. Fortunately, Athena chooses that moment to rush in, and Klavier is spared from answering further. "I'll see you guys in there," Klavier says as he moves towards the bathroom. Apollo he can handle, being the closest thing he has to a friend right now but Cykes he cannot. He doesn't need analytical psychology right now to tell him he's fucked up. It's bad enough with that bracelet of Apollo's.

He gets into the bathroom and take off his sunglasses, and he's glad he didn't take them off in front of Apollo. His eyes are still a bit bloodshot and it's clear he was into something last night. He's starting to feel shaky but refuses to believe it could possibly be connected to his slip-up. Surely he can't be craving more already? But he shakes that thought away, refusing to let it settle, knowing there's nothing he can do about it. He's in court, for god's sake. He's supposed to prosecute this case to the best of his ability, and he is not, not, not supposed to be thinking about shooting up again.

Klavier slips his sunglasses back on and takes a deep breath as he grips the edges of the sink so firmly his knuckles are turning white. He has to be ready for trial. There is no other option.

* * *

"Apollo, hey!" Athena greets cheerfully. "What's up with Prosecutor Gavin? He usually at least says hi."

"I'm not quite sure, Athena," he says, still staring at the door Klavier left through, his expression unreadable. But Athena doesn't need to be able to read his expression to hear Apollo's heart screaming his concern for Klavier. She's unsure how to respond, not knowing Klavier as well as Apollo does. But Apollo pulls her out of her thoughts by lightly touching her shoulder, and she looks at him. "Do me a favor, ok? Instead of watching the witnesses, can you focus on Klavier instead? I just...I feel like something's wrong," he says, and she notices he's gripping his bracelet.

"Sure thing, Apollo. You'll be ok with the testimonies by yourself?"

"I think I should be. I'll let you know if I need your help."

"Ok. Come on then, it's time to head in."

* * *

"I declare the defendant, Ariella Spry, NOT GUILTY. Court is adjourned." With the bang of the judge's gavel, Klavier heaved a huge sigh of relief. He'd been able to manage prosecuting this case, but admittedly Apollo had done most of the work. It was the defense's job to point out contradictions in witness testimony, and the prosecution's job to point out contradictions in the defense's theories. Klavier had managed a few objections but it wasn't up to his usual standards, and while the judge didn't notice anything wrong, he could tell Apollo and Cykes had.

Wanting to avoid the concern he knew he'd receive after that performance, Klavier quietly slipped out of the courthouse. By the time Apollo got to the prosecution lobby, leaving Athena with their client, Klavier was already gone.

* * *

"There's some cases on your desk, Gavin, if you want to pick out your next one."

"Ja, thank you, Herr Edgeworth." Slipping away from the chief prosecutor, Klavier entered his office. He sat at his desk and sighed. He really didn't want to take on another case at the moment but that's what they were paying him to do, right? Sometimes he wondered if it would've been easier to stay a rock star and quit the prosecutor side of his life. He loved prosecuting, he really did, he just couldn't remember why at the moment. All he wanted to do was have a drink after his performance that morning, but Miles Edgeworth was definitely not one to allow drinking on the job. With that in mind, he picked up the first case file and looked through it.

Crime: Murder.

Defense attorney: Phoenix Wright.

He put that one into a pile to offer to other prosecutors without looking at the file any further. If there was one thing Klavier could not stand to do at the moment, it was prosecute a case against Phoenix Wright. He'd been avoiding standing cases against Wright since he got his badge back. He made a mental note to offer that one to Blackquill and continued on.

Crime: Larceny.

Defense attorney: Samantha Oswald.

A rookie, he remembers. He debates taking it for a moment. Larceny would definitely be simpler to handle than a homicide at the moment, and so would going against a rookie. But Kristoph's voice is back in his head, and so he listens to what he has to say. _What if you're high when you show up to court, like you were last night? What if the defendant is really innocent, but you forget that because you're high? You know you would slam a rookie defense attorney and get your guilty verdict without even trying. Can you live with that on your conscious? Would you then admit we are more alike then you want to believe?_ And Klavier slams the file shut and throws it across the office. What was he thinking? He definitely couldn't take that case. As much as he doesn't want to admit it, Kristoph is right. He would crush a rookie. An innocent person could go to jail. When Klavier is investigating a case and determines the defendant is innocent, he helps Apollo to discover the truth for himself so that he can present a proper defense. If he was high, it was true that he might not remember that.

And now Kristoph has put another poisoned thought in his head. Last night was a slip up, that's all. It wasn't about to become a daily occurrence. He has no plans to go back to Kristoph's house tonight and slide the needle into his skin again. And he is going to ignore the wave of desire he felt when he imagined doing just that. He doesn't need it. He doesn't. There's other ways to shut Kristoph up. He might allow himself a drink later, but that doesn't mean he'll get drunk or that he'll shoot up again. He shakes his head, trying desperately to clear it, trying to shake Kristoph out, as he moves onto the next file. His phone rings before he can open the file, and he sees _Johnny Crier_ on the display. Klavier is relieved to see it isn't Apollo, just another former member of the Gavinners. Johnny was the drummer and has been forever trying to Klavier to party with him since he broke up. Klavier mostly makes excuses when he calls, he really doesn't need to be around the bar or club scene, but he knows what he's going to say this time as he answers the phone.

"Hallo, Johnny."

"Klav!" comes Johnny's loud, boisterous voice over the phone. He must have had a drink or two already. "What's goin' on man? Hey, I hope you don't have any plans tonight, there's this awesome party at this club I know. You have to come!"

"...ja, perhaps I will," Klavier says, already packing up his things. He can probably escape before Edgeworth notices he hasn't picked a next case yet.

"Alright! I knew there was hope for you! You at home? I can come and get you."

"I was on my way there. I'll be there in 10 minutes. How far are you?"

"About 25 away from your place. See ya soon, Klav!" And Johnny hangs up before Klavier can take back his decision to go out. Part of him knows this is a terrible idea, being an alcoholic and ex-drug addict going to a club, especially only a day after a slip-up. But then he hears Kristoph and Daryan screaming at him again and tells himself he needs this, just this one time, so he gets on his bike and heads for home.

* * *

Klavier finally gets back to Kristoph's just before the sun starts to rise. With as many drinks as he had and whatever kind of pill Johnny slipped him, he's not even going to lie about what he's doing here this time. Johnny was in no shape to even notice that Klavier asked the driver to drop him off somewhere else, between the drinks and the blonde, he was far gone. Klavier knows he could've had anyone he wanted at that club, girl or guy, but the only thing he wants is stashed under the floorboards at Kristoph's. And that's right where he heads, not pausing to take off his shoes or his coat. Within minutes he feels the warm relief again, and nothing more as he slips back into unconsciousness.

* * *

Klavier wakes up again on the hardwood floor of his old bedroom, later that afternoon. He groans as he sits up and pulls his phone out of his pocket. 3 missed calls from Apollo, and one from Edgeworth. He feels a flurry of panic at seeing the chief prosecutor's name on his missed call log until he remembers he had off from work today. He knows he should call him back immediately, and maybe Apollo too, but his head is pounding and he just wants a quick drink to get himself prepared and to get rid of this sick feeling he has. As he walks into the kitchen, he realizes his head is noticeably silent. There are no voices in his head besides his own; no Kristoph, no Daryan. He smiles to himself as he downs a glass of who even knows what, he didn't bother looking at the bottle before pouring himself a glass. He quickly downs another glass before taking his phone back out. Now he can work, now that his brain is less fuzzy.

All Edgeworth has to say is that Klavier needs to pick another case before one is assigned to him. Klavier is senior enough to receive the privilege of picking his own cases and delegating the rest to other prosecutors. He assures Edgeworth he's on his way to do so right now, and he will email the chief prosecutor with his choice shortly. Edgeworth makes no comment about Klavier coming in on his day off, or the fact that it took six hours for Klavier to get back to him. He says a brief goodbye, and hangs up.

Klavier isn't dumb enough to ride his bike to the prosecutor's office, not after what he's already had to drink today, so instead calls a cab and goes about making himself more presentable than he was yesterday. It's later when he's about to step out to wait for the cab that he pauses in his room and stares at the floorboard again. He definitely cannot, will not, cannot shoot up before going into work, but he does need to to take off some of the edge that's starting to come back. He bends down and grabs a bottle of prescription pills made out to Kristoph, pops a couple and heads out the door. He slides the rest into his pocket as he gets in the cab and tells the cabbie the address. He can feel the pills already taking effect, if slower than he'd like. He breathes and relishes the feeling for a minute, then pulls his phone out to call Apollo back.

"Apollo Justice."

"Do you always sound so formal when you answer the phone, Herr Forehead, or is it just for me?"

"Klavier!"

"Ja, that's still my name. I'm almost to the prosecutor's office so I don't have a lot of time to talk. You called quite a few times earlier."

"Ja, I mean, yes, I did. You seemed odd in court yesterday so I wanted to make sure everything was ok."

"Why wouldn't it be?"

"You tell me." Even over the phone, Klavier could tell Apollo was frowning. He sighed. Apollo sure knew how to kill a buzz.

"I'm fine. Just a little tired is all." The phone was silent for such a long moment that Klavier checked the display to make sure the call hadn't been lost. "Apollo?"

"...Sorry. I was just trying to determine if my bracelet would react to something said over the phone or if it was reacting to Trucy's babble in the background here." Klavier held his breath for a moment, silently cursing that godforsaken bracelet of Apollo's. "Klavier?"

"It must be something the Fraulein said, ja? I don't think that bracelet would work over the phone, but I assume you would know more about it than me."

"...You're probably right. Ok, Trucy, ok! Sorry, I have to go. Call me if you need anything, Klavier."  
"Ja, I will. I'm sure I'll see you in court soon. Auf Wiedersehen, Herr Forehead." With that, Klavier hung up the phone and went into the prosecutor's office. As he entered his office and saw the file strewn on the floor from yesterday, he remembers the dilemma he had and frowned. He sits in his chair and picks up the next case in the pile.

Crime: Larceny

Defense Attorney: Apollo Justice

Detective: Ema Skye

Klavier relaxes in his chair, smiling in relief. He can stand a case against Herr Forehead, because he knows Apollo is competent and will stand for nothing less than the proper verdict being reached. And Ema, though she does so grudgingly, is used to doing Klavier's investigative work and reporting back everything she finds. Though he doesn't plan to actually be high or drunk when he's prosecuting, it doesn't hurt to take precautions. He emails Edgeworth the case number and prepares to leave, picking up the case he'd thrown yesterday and leaving the file in Payne's mailbox, and leaving the other murder case against Wright in Blackquill's mailbox. The second he leaves the office his phone rings as he pops another couple pills.

"Finally conscious again, Johnny?" he answers after checking the display.

"Conscious and ready for more! I'm kind of surprised you are, Klav. All these years trying to get you to party and you turning me down, I thought you must not have it in you. But you were downing shots and pills like a pro! So, what do you say? You in for tonight? Pre-party at my place if you're up for it."

"I have to run home real quick but I'll meet you at your place." With that, Klavier hung up the phone. He refuses to let himself think about what he's doing. Kristoph and Daryan have been silent all day, and if this is what he needs to do to keep it that way, then he's ok with having a few less brain cells. As long as he doesn't let it affect his work, it's fine...right? He definitely doesn't think about the brief flash of Apollo's face that just went through his mind. Apollo has no reason to worry about him, no right. Klavier is grown, and he's done this before. He knows how to handle himself. He pushes any lingering doubts from his mind and walks the rest of the way back to his place.

* * *

A/N: No song lyrics this time. They'll come back into play later in the story.

I'll try to be quicker on updates. I've had zero days off since I posted the first chapter, besides the two days I was sick and not in any shape to write.

Johnny is not too important and will not be a central character. Points if you can somehow guess where I got inspiration for his name.

Thanks to everyone who has read/favorited/alerted so far! It makes me happy :)

Until next time,

Shayla


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Lot of dialog in this chapter. More action is coming next chapter. I'm not entirely satisfied with this chapter, please tell me how you feel about it.  
Thanks to everyone who alerted/favorited/reviewed this story so far! I will be trying to be faster on updates.

Disclaimer: I do not own Apollo Justice or Ace Attorney.

* * *

Chapter 3

"Hey Polly, who were you talking to anyways?" Trucy asked Apollo as he hung up the phone.

"Klavier," he answers, shooting a look at Athena instead of Trucy. "I'll help you with your trick in a second, Truce, I just need to talk to Athena real quick." Athena nods as Apollo indicates the door to the back office and follows him inside.

"I know what you're going to ask about," Athena says before he can even open his mouth. "I'm sorry, Apollo, but yes, I sensed discord in Prosecutor Gavin but without a therapy session, I don't have a way to explain it."

"I was afraid you'd say that. There's something he's keeping from me. Not that either of us have shared our whole life history with each other, but he's usually honest with me when I ask him something. Now whenever he says he's fine, my bracelet goes crazy. It's been like this ever since Kristoph's execution."

"Kristoph?" Athena questions.

"Oh, right, I forgot you weren't here yet. Kristoph Gavin, my previous employer, and Klavier's older brother. Mr. Wright never told you how he lost his badge for seven years?"

"I asked once, but he said he prefers not to talk about it, that he has his badge back now and that's all that matters. I didn't know Prosecutor Gavin even had a brother! He's never mentioned him."

"Probably because he killed at least two people, attempted a third murder, forged evidence for a trial he was supposed to face against Klavier, and framed Mr. Wright for it, causing him to lose his badge."

"Oh!" Athena exclaimed, surprise evident on her and Widget's faces. "And you said he was executed?"

"Yeah, just a couple weeks ago," Apollo answered, rubbing a hand over his face. "I was surprised Klavier went, to be honest. Before the execution, he'd been acting like he never had a brother. Didn't visit him as far as I'm aware. Or at least Kristoph had been hinting Klavier wasn't visiting. But the day of the execution comes and there he is, emotionless, hollow. Never took his eyes off Kristoph, not until they put him in the ground. I went with him back to his apartment but he said he was fine, just tired and wanted to be alone. I didn't want to, but I left. The next day he's back to normal, acting like nothing happened, smiling, teasing Ema. My bracelet's been reacting ever since, but he always says he's fine. I just wish I knew what to do to help him, the way he helped when Clay...when Clay died," he said, swallowing.

"I know you want to help, Apollo, but I don't think there's much you can do until Prosecutor Gavin admits he wants help."

"I know it's just...what if he doesn't ask for help until it's too late?"

* * *

"Ugh..." Klavier groans as he wakes up the next morning. His head is killing him and he can vaguely hear Kristoph in his head telling him he deserves this pain. At least he fell asleep on his bed today. He sits up and is about to rub a hand over his face when he sees the needle lying next to him and freezes. He didn't think he'd done that last night, although Klavier admits there's a lot about last night that he doesn't remember. He moves it to his nightstand and shrugs. Does it really matter anymore? He's breaking all his rules already. He tries to think if he has to go to work today as he absently finger combs his hair. Then he remembers it's the weekend, and he's free to do whatever the fuck he wants for the next two days. Normally, this means nothing and Klavier still works. Now, now he heads for the bottles of pills and booze he left on the table and pulls out his cell phone.

Klavier opens his recent call log and has his finger over Johnny's number when he sees Apollo's name under his. He remembers a few days ago, before he gave up, before he was weak, when he debated calling Apollo, debated asking for help. But now Daryan is back in his head, telling him he doesn't deserve Apollo, that without Daryan, Klavier might as well go back to the way he was. That maybe, if Klavier wasn't so weak, Klavier could've seen the real truth and helped Daryan, not pushed him aside for Sleeves. And Klavier really doesn't like these accusations, he can't handle them, so he sets his cell phone down for a moments and pops a few pills. And Daryan is still there, although quieter, so he takes a couple shots of vodka too. And now Daryan is finally silent, and Klavier knows he's well on his way to fucked up already and it's barely noon. He pushes aside the vodka and reaches for his phone again. If he's going to be fucked up, he might as well not be fucked up alone.

* * *

"Did you see the news today?" Athena asks Apollo as she enters the office, a magazine rolled in her hand. Apollo looks up from the case file he was pouring over and shakes his head.

"No, I usually only read the funnies."

"Well, there's nothing funny about this. You might want to look at it." She unrolls it and hands it over, and Apollo immediately notices it's some type of gossip magazine with Klavier on the cover. His eyes are glassy and his clothes are disheveled. Apollo rips the magazine open to the indicated page with the article and reads as quick as he can. It's not very informative, mostly speculation that the Gavinners are getting back together, due to the fact that Klavier was apparently with one of his old band mates, and accusations that Klavier or his friend, or both, are on drugs. The article really only confirms one thing: that Klavier was partying last night, and was drinking at the very least. Apollo throws the magazine down on the table and sighs.

"How can he insist and insist that he's fine, and then go out and get shit-faced?" he asks, mostly to himself, not really expecting an answer from Athena.

"Well, maybe he hasn't seen his friend for awhile, and drank more than he meant to? " she says questioningly, sitting down across from Apollo and grabbing his cup of coffee. "I mean, you guys are that age that most people are going out and drinking, if either of you were normal."

"I don't think so. Kristoph...one of the times I visited Kristoph, he said Klavier doesn't drink. I said I didn't believe that because he was in a band. I mean, they've toured all over the world mostly unsupervised and the rest of his band is notorious for partying. But Kristoph said Klavier doesn't drink. He didn't really explain why, but he was very adamant of it."

"Maybe Kristoph didn't know? Or maybe he was lying to you to protect Klavier's personal life?"

"You've just seen the kind of press Klavier attracts when he drinks," Apollo pointed out. "I don't think it would've been possible for Kristoph to not know. And Kristoph couldn't lie to me, remember? I was wearing my bracelet. And I know his tells. I don't know what it is."

"Maybe it was a one-time stress relief kind of thing? The two of you have been working cases an awful lot lately. Maybe he just needed a little break?" Athena questioned, draining the rest of Apollo's coffee.

"Maybe. Hopefully. Keep your eye on the news for me, would you? You owe me for that coffee, after all."

* * *

Klavier heads into the office Monday morning, looking ready-to-go to the untrained eye, but he wouldn't fool Apollo Justice, and he wasn't fooling Miles Edgeworth either as he tried to slip past the chief prosecutor unnoticed.

"Prosecutor Gavin," Klavier hears Edgeworth call, and takes a deep breath to calm himself before turning to face the chief. Edgeworth dismisses Blackquill and makes his way over to Klavier, motioning for them to enter Klavier's office. Klavier catches Blackquill giving him an odd look before following Edgeworth in.

"Ja, Herr Edgeworth?" he asks, trying not to let Edgeworth see how nervous he is. He turns to see Edgeworth staring intently at him.

"I happened to see an article over the weekend," he finally responds. "As chief prosecutor and your boss, I have to ask: is there any truth to the rumor that you have been doing drugs?" Klavier swallows hard before answering.

"Nein, sir, just a rumor in a trashy magazine. I had a bit too much to drink Saturday night, but they sell more stories by starting drug rumors whenever I leave the house." He sees Edgeworth studying him and forces himself to relax. He needs to make this convincing.

"I see. Is it true that you associate with someone who does drugs?" Edgeworth questions next. Klavier feels momentarily relieved before thinking how to answer this one. He feels sick lying to his boss, but he cannot answer truthfully and get Johnny sent to jail. He will not be responsible for another friend, another Gavinner, getting locked up.

"He did not take any drugs while I was present. I am unaware what he does when I'm not around. It's possible, although I don't think it's likely. Johnny just likes to drink and dance with cute frauleins."

"...I'll believe you for now, Gavin, but should my trust be misplaced, know that it's not just your job you're endangering," he said, moving to the door. He opened it and turned around to face Klavier again. "Your case against Justice starts tomorrow at 9, by the way. Don't be late," he said, leaving and shutting the door behind him. Klavier breathed a sigh of relief and sank into his chair. That was too close. He'd have to be more careful from now on. At the very least, he couldn't afford to meet with Johnny the next few days.

* * *

"Blackquill," Edgeworth called into Simon's office. Simon immediately stood and faced the chief prosecutor with a questioning look on his face. "Your case against Wright isn't for another week and a half, correct?"

"Yes, that's right..." he trailed off, still not sure where this was going.

"I'd like you to do me a favor, if you don't mind. You don't have to agree to it if you don't want to. You will not be penalized for telling me no."

"What is it, sir?"

"I'd like you to follow Prosecutor Gavin for a couple days."

* * *

"Wright Anything Agency," Phoenix answered the phone a few days later, simultaneously shoving a large chunk of toast into his mouth.

"Wright, that's disgusting. I'd appreciate if you'd learn some manners and not chew obnoxiously while you're on the phone."

"Edgeworth?" Phoenix asked, loudly swallowing the toast. "Sorry, I was starving. I'm busy preparing for a case against Blackquill, as I'm sure you know. I forget to eat sometimes."

"Well, you don't have to make up for twelve meals the very second you answer the phone," Edgeworth responded snarkily. "Anyways, I'm looking for your younger associate."

"Athena?"

"No, the other one. The loud one."

"Oh, you mean Apollo. Hold on. Apollo!" Phoenix called, forgetting to pull the phone away from his mouth as he shouted. Edgeworth almost dropped the phone as he covered his ears.

"Wright, I'm going to murder you!"

"...umm, hello?"

"Oh, please excuse me, Mr. Justice. No matter how long we've been friends, there are some things about Phoenix Wright that are inexcusable."

"Not that I don't agree with you, Prosecutor Edgeworth, but I'm sure you didn't call to talk about Mr. Wright," Apollo replied, trying not to laugh.

"No, that is true. You're friends with Klavier Gavin, correct?"

"Yes," Apollo responded, immediately sobering up. "Why? Is everything okay?"

"He's fine, I suppose. I was hoping you'd be able to help me get some answers, actually."

"I can try to help."

"I became concerned about Prosecutor Gavin's actions after that article in that...questionable magazine. Prosecutor Gavin reassured me that the article was just rumors, and although we are coming out of the dark age of the law, there are some people who still don't trust the legal system, and the prosecutors are being watched very closely. I had Prosecutor Blackquill follow him for a few days, to confirm that Gavin was speaking truthfully. Blackquill did not see Gavin meet with this ex-Gavinner friend of his, nor see him go out to any bars or clubs. There is one thing, however..."

"Yes, sir?"

"Prosecutor Blackquill found that Prosecutor Gavin rarely stays at his own apartment anymore, and instead chooses to travel farther and out of the way, to stay at Gavin Manor." Apollo freezes at hearing that name, and forgets for a second that he's on the phone. "Mr. Justice?"

"Yes, sorry. Why would Klavier be going to Kristoph's place?"

"I was hoping you'd know the answer to that. I've come up with a few theories, none of which are good and all of which I'm hoping are wrong. Well, I cannot have Prosecutor Blackquill follow him indefinitely. He has his own cases to prepare for. For now, I will take Prosecutor Gavin at his word. There is one other thing I'd like to ask of you."

"Yes, Prosecutor Edgeworth?"

"Watch him for me. If there is something wrong, he will turn to you when he realizes he needs help, not me, his boss. I'm sure this hasn't been an easy time for you, either, but you have Wright and Cykes and young Miss Wright behind you. I'm not sure who Gavin has anymore, besides you."

* * *

Klavier celebrates the day he realizes Samurai Blackquill isn't following him anymore. It had taken him a while to realize he was in fact being followed, but had been acting like a model citizen when he had. Well, a model citizen outside Kristoph's. He was sure Blackquill wasn't peering through any windows, and felt free to do as he pleased within these walls. All he had to do was make sure he was well enough to work and not meet Johnny for a few days. And now he is free, and doesn't have to go to court or the office tomorrow. All he has to do is make sure they avoid any paparazzi. He gets a needle ready and calls Johnny.

* * *

Klavier drags himself into the courthouse a few days later. He went a little too hard with his celebrating, and hopes it isn't noticeable. To be honest, if he hadn't set a message with his alarm telling him to go to court today, he probably wouldn't have made it in. He isn't quite sure what day it is, and he's scared to admit he's never even looked over this case file to even know who he's supposed to be prosecuting. All he knows is he's against Apollo, who's staring intently at him as he enters the courtroom. He avoids his gaze and settles at the prosecutor's bench.

"Court is now in session. All rise."

* * *

A/N: Again, more will happen next chapter. I just wanted a bit of a glimpse into Apollo's thoughts, and Edgeworth's.  
Please review! Thank you PetiteSaki for your review!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: There's a couple time jumps in here. The first two paragraphs immediately follow the trial from last chapter. Then it skips a few weeks (Apollo POV), and then skips a few more weeks (Klavier POV), and one last time jump after that one (Apollo POV), also a few weeks. The next Klavier POV takes place immediately after Apollo's POV/conversation with Athena. I hope this doesn't confuse anyone too much. These are the only time jumps, I swear.

Disclaimer: I do not own Apollo Justice or Ace Attorney.

* * *

Chapter 4

Klavier leaves the courthouse before Apollo and Athena are even done packing up their things. Apollo frowns, staring at the empty prosecutor's bench for a moment before following Athena out the door. He doesn't understand how Klavier can show up looking like he was hit by a truck, clearly unprepared judging by the frantic way he studied the case file in the prosecutor's lobby (yes, okay, he had gone to sneak a peek), and still be such a difficult opponent. Apollo gives him this much: whatever he's doing outside of court hasn't negatively affected his job performance, or at least not so far. At the very least, Klavier can put on a good act. And that's what it comes down to. Apollo is sure all of this is an act. The question was, what exactly was Klavier hiding behind this act of his?

* * *

Klavier enters Kristoph's...no, Gavin Manor, and pours himself a generous drink before heaving a sigh of relief as he takes a sip. He did his job and did it well. Maybe not to the full extent of his own personal abilities, but still beyond that of most prosecutors. Nobody had noticed anything, had commented that he seemed odd or anything but normal. He'd presented his arguments and facts clearly, and given Apollo a fair fight. Even Apollo hadn't given him any concerned looks. If nothing seemed amiss to outsiders, well then he could continue as he had been, couldn't he? He only had to remember his personal rules at all times: no press, no letting it interfere with work, no reaching pass out level if he had to work the next day. He'd proven to himself today he could do this and be a prosecutor. It was all the fun of the rock star life that he'd missed when he was actually a rock star. All he had to do was keep the public and his boss from finding out, and stay the hell away from Apollo's accursed bracelet. He would keep facing him in court, nothing more. At least for now. With that thought, Klavier downed the rest of his drink.

* * *

Apollo sighed. Klavier was acting TOO normal again. He seemed to have gone back to his old self. On the other hand, there was still something strange about him. He did well in court, it was true, but he seemed to be taking less cases. Prosecutor Edgeworth said he used to prosecute at least one case a week. Nowadays, it seemed like Klavier was ONLY prosecuting cases as often as Apollo was. He'd wondered if Klavier had requested to only face him, but Edgeworth had said he hadn't. Of course, Edgeworth had also added that Klavier was senior enough to choose his cases, and could conceivably be choosing only cases where Apollo was leading defense. What Apollo didn't understand was, if Klavier was doing this, why he was doing it? Why was he choosing to face only Apollo in court, yet no longer spoke to him outside of court? Apollo wondered vaguely if it was because of his bracelet, rubbing his bare wrist. He couldn't even stand to wear his bracelet around Klavier these days, which proved that Klavier was hiding something no matter how much he pretended he was fine. He could only hope that Klavier would ask for help if he needed it, before it got to the point where no one could help him.

* * *

Klavier woke up on his floor, groaning. He'd given up trying to make it to his bed, instead moving his mattress to the floor. He must have rolled off at some point, because he was yet again sprawled on the floor. He pulled himself back onto the mattress and pulled his phone off the charger. He grabbed a couple pills from the bottle beside him and dry swallowed them while he waited for it to power on. His phone immediately showed he had 5 missed calls, all from Edgeworth, along with a text. _Pick your next case immediately, Gavin, if you want to get pai_d, it read. Klavier snorted. He didn't need his prosecutor's salary. He had enough from the Gavinners to keep him going for quite some time. He only stayed a prosecutor because...well, actually, he wasn't sure at the moment why he was still prosecuting. He wasn't enjoying it at the moment, he didn't need the money...he dialed a number and the phone was ringing before he even realized what he was about to do.

"Edgeworth speaking."

"Herr Edgeworth, it's Prosecutor Gavin."

"You better have a good excuse for not picking up your phone, Gavin. Are you on your way in to choose your case or not?"

"That is what I wished to speak to you about. I was wondering if I'd be able to take a leave of absence."

"...May I ask why?"

"You offered me a leave a couple months ago, for Kri—for my brother, and I refused at the time. And now Daryan's is coming up and...well, I don't want my work to be affected. I've been trying, but I haven't really been in a right state of mind recently...hence why I was delaying picking a new case."

"I see. I admire your honesty and respect your decision. You may take a leave of absence. Do you know when you'll be coming back?"

"Nein. I'm sorry I...haven't determined that yet."

"It's fine. Just call me whenever you're ready to come back to work. And Gavin...should you ever need to talk, you have my number. And Justice as well."

"Ja, danke, Herr Edgeworth. I'll keep that in mind."

* * *

Apollo enters the agency, stretching and yawning. He gets in and notices nobody else is here yet, judging by the morning paper still propped against the door. He grabs it and sets it on the table, and goes about making coffee. He's used to this routine, being the first in, as Phoenix and Trucy no longer live at the Agency and are late sleepers, and Athena usually goes for a long run before she comes in.

Speaking of Athena, she runs in just as he's pouring his first cup of coffee. He takes in the sight of her, doubled over, panting, hands on her knees for a moment before he shrugs. He's about to sit down when she finally attempts to speak.

"Ah-ah-Apollo," she pants, trying to catch her breath enough to speak. Apollo notices she's holding some type of magazine in her hand, and his stomach sinks. He lets her catches her breath but holds up his hand when she goes to talk again.

"Another one?" is all he asks, holding his hand out for the magazine. She hands it to him and nods.

"Fifth day in a row," she confirms. He crushes the magazine in his hand without even looking at it. He knows what he'll see. Klavier and that buddy of his, Johnny something, drinks in hand, hitting up what seemed to be every bar and club in town. Apollo sighs. He wants to help Klavier but he can tell Klavier has been ignoring him. His calls go unanswered during the day, and if he manages to get Klavier to answer at night it's usually too loud to hear him or Klavier is too drunk to form complete sentences. He heard from Phoenix that Chief Prosecutor Edgeworth said Klavier took some time off from work, so he hasn't seen him in court. Things hadn't been so bad in the time immediately after Klavier's leave of absence, but a week later he was in the tabloids again, along with the previous accusations of drug use. Apollo didn't know what to think anymore. He wanted to help but didn't know what was going through Klavier's head, not to mention they hadn't even spoken properly for weeks.

Athena grabs a piece of toast and some coffee, studying Apollo. She recognizes the look on his face. It's the one she wore from the time she joined the agency until they released Simon. She runs a hand through her ponytail and stares absently at the crumpled picture of Klavier on the magazine cover.

"Apollo?" He looked up at her, a questioning look on his face. "Prosecutor Gavin seemed to be okay for a while. Why did he suddenly leave his job as a prosecutor? Do you think the rumors are true?"

"I...I wish I knew," he replied bitterly. "I don't think he was okay. I don't think he's been okay since the execution, or maybe even before that. I think he's too stubborn to admit how much it hurt for him to lose Kristoph. From an outsider's perspective, Kristoph was a cold blooded murderer who needed to be put down. From a legal standpoint, he committed various, horrifying crimes and needed proper punishment. As a prosecutor, Klavier knows this. He's on the side of the law and justice and knows Kristoph did some horrible things. The problem is, Klavier isn't only a prosecutor. He lost his brother and the only family he had left. It's logical, it's understandable, that he'd be in pain over this. Kristoph raised him for practically half his life. And Kristoph may have done some terrible things, but he still loved Klavier. He kept his room the same even after Klavier moved out. It's probably still the same, actually."

"Apollo, how..." Athena trailed off, unsure how to phrase her question. Apollo understood without words, and gave her the same distant, far away look he wore when he spoke about Clay.

"I forgot, you don't know. Kristoph wasn't just my boss. He took me in when I was sixteen. I'd been in and out of foster homes for a long time, and in and out of trouble, too. He didn't officially adopt me, but he took me in, gave me a home, gave me a family, gave me a future. Or so I thought. He never explained why he took me in, hell I didn't even know he had a brother until the first time I faced Klavier in court, and I know it doesn't excuse the things he did, but he did care for me. And he loved Klavier."

"I'm sorry, Apollo, I didn't know. I didn't realize...but wait. How did you not know about Klavier if you lived with his brother?"

"Kristoph had pictures up, of course. But when I asked him who it was, he just said it was a family member and wouldn't say anything more. And I was forbidden to go in what I now know was Klavier's room. Kristoph could be weird and cold about the strangest things, so I never questioned it. By the time he took me in, Klavier was busy with his band and touring. He spoke to Kristoph on the phone, but both their schedules were terrible and always clashing, I guess, so he never really had time to visit for long, so I never saw him." Athena watched the sad look in his eyes as he reminisced, and gave him a minute of peace before asking her next question.

"And do you think it's true? Do you think Klavier's been doing drugs?"

"...I don't want to. I don't want to believe he'd be so stupid. But it would explain his odd behavior, his sudden departure from the prosecutor's office. I just wish there was someone we could ask, someone who knows Klavier," Apollo said desperately, pacing.

"What happened to his parents?"

"Died in a car crash when Klavier was 10. He doesn't have any other family, at least not in the area."

"What about his band mates?" Athena questioned. "Well, besides Johnny."

"That's not a bad idea. Hold on, I'll see what comes up on Google," Apollo said, stepping into his and Athena's office to get his laptop. He came back out with it, set it on the table, and powered it on. "Move your coffee away," he told Athena.

"It's not going to spill on your laptop," she said, glaring at him. Nevertheless, she moved it to the cupboard.

"That's what you say but you're still paying me off for this one after you spilled juice on my last one," he pointed out as he opened up a web page. "Do you know any of their names?" he asked her as Google popped up.

"No, just Klavier," she said, shaking her head. "Just search Gavinners first to find their names." It was silent for a few moments as Apollo gathered information. He ended up shaking his head as he was still reading.

"No good, the keyboardist moved to London, and the bassist is staying in Australia with family. And of course Daryan hates me, so even if he wasn't in jail, I don't think he'd want to talk to me...what's this?" he muttered, clicking a news article. "Oh...goddammit, Klavier."

"What is it?"

"Daryan, the second guitarist, the detective that killed the Interpol agent...his execution's coming up. And by coming up, I mean it's next week. Well, that explains Klavier's leave of absence. But I don't think not working is going to distract him from the fact that his best friend is getting executed next week."

"Well, I think you need to talk to Daryan. And soon, obviously."

"I don't know if he'll talk to me. He made it pretty clear he didn't like me."

"Well, of course he didn't like you. You're the one who discovered the truth behind that case that led to him being arrested and found guilty. But if he cares about Prosecutor Gavin at all, he'll talk. He's going to be executed soon and he knows it. No matter what the past, if I was in that situation, I'd still want to help my best friend," Athena pointed out.

"You're right. I'll talk to him tomorrow."

* * *

Klavier was getting aggravated, pacing the living room at Gavin Manor. He'd run out of dilaudid and his usual dealer was out of town, the ignorant prick. He'd given Klavier his friend's number and promised he'd supply him this time and be quick on delivery. Klavier usually liked to go pick it up, but apparently this guy did deliveries only. He called the guy an hour ago and he still wasn't here. He had run out last night, and he was trying not to think about how much he was shaking right now. All he had to do was make it until the guy got here. Then everything would be okay again. He went over to the counter and took a swig from the open bottle of vodka. It wasn't helping much with his nerves or the shaking, but it was something. Finally the doorbell rang.

After he paid the guy and got his stuff, Klavier grabbed the bottle of vodka and headed to his room. He paused outside Kristoph's door, seriously debating it for the first time. He made up his mind and sat on the floor. Just a small dose first, just a little bit to stop the shaking. He plunged the needle into his arm and sighed in relief. He let it wash over him for a minute before standing and grabbing the bottle of vodka, heading inside. He opened the door and just stared at the room for a moment. From a glance, Kristoph's room seemed to be the same as he remembered it. The bedroom of his older brother, not a murderer, not a monster. He walked over to the bed and sat down. Neat, tidy. No forged evidences lying around, no plans to kill anyone. Klavier grabbed a photo off the table next to the bed and smiled. It was him and Kristoph, when they were younger, with their parents. Klavier felt a pang in his heart when he realized he was the only one left now, and took a generous sip from the bottle. As he went to set the photo down, he noticed another. He grabbed it and stared at it.

It was a photo of Kristoph. Of Kristoph and Apollo. Apollo looked to be about seventeen in the picture. He was wearing a cap and gown, and he and Kristoph had their arms over the other's shoulders, both smiling. Klavier stared for the longest time, staring at the Apollo in the photograph. Of course, he had forgotten Apollo had stayed with Kristoph for a while. He hadn't actually met Apollo until their first court case. Kristoph had told him about Apollo but hadn't given any other details no matter how much Klavier asked. It was strange, he thought, to see Kristoph so openly happy. He set the picture down and realized something. If Apollo had lived with Kristoph, he must have a room here somewhere. All these weeks he's been here, he's never felt inclined to explore his childhood home, scared of demons of the past and content to contain himself to his old room. Now, he takes his first real look around in years. And he finds it. Just down the hall from his old room is a room that screams Apollo. He's disappointed it took him so long to find it. He stands in the doorway, looking around, soaking up the comfort of being in Apollo's room. This little piece of Apollo, left in Kristoph's home. He's been avoiding Apollo, afraid of being found out, but he misses him terribly, and standing here in his old room helps a little. He takes a walk around the room and can imagine younger Apollo sitting in that chair over there, reading the law textbooks on the shelf next to it, and he smiles thinking about it. One wall is completely covered in photographs, so Klavier walks over to take a look.

Most of them are Apollo and Kristoph, and the ones that aren't are of Apollo and another boy that Klavier recognizes is Clay. Apollo is smiling in every picture, unaware that Kristoph would go on to kill people, unaware his best friend would end up murdered before he ever got to space. And that smile of Apollo's is breaking Klavier's heart. He hasn't had one of those smiles in a while now, and he misses it. He misses facing Apollo in court, he misses subtly helping Apollo and Trucy investigate, or nowadays Apollo and Athena. He misses the look on Apollo's face every time he calls him Herr Forehead. He's been spiraling for so long now, he's forgotten what he's missed.

He sits down on Apollo's bed and pulls out his phone. He wonders, for the first time in a while, if it's too late to ask for help. Some part of him recognizes how far he's fallen, that he hasn't been making the best decisions lately. But another part doesn't care, he's having fun, or what feels like fun, for the first time in a long time. So what if he needs more and more in the syringe to get the same effects? So what if he's essentially quit his real job to go spiraling down this rabbit hole? When he's like this, he doesn't think about Kristoph, doesn't think about Daryan, doesn't feel like his life flipped upside down in a matter of months. When he's sober, he remembers everything. Learning what Kristoph had done, meeting Apollo for the first time and hating him, blaming him for taking away his brother, quickly realizing Apollo's not at fault for the crimes Kristoph committed. And just as he finally accepts Kristoph's actions, the whole mess with Daryan happens. And when he feels like he could never possibly feel worse than he did then, the whole truth about Kristoph came out, a truth he'd been suspecting since Kristoph had been arrested for Shadi Smith.

The days after Vera Misham's trial were some of the darkest days in his life. He relapsed and binge drank for a week, preferring to be unconscious and unable to think than to have to deal with Kristoph's and Daryan's sentencing. Apollo helped pull him out of that, although he didn't know it. He dragged Klavier out of his apartment to the park with him and Trucy. And he watched Apollo that day, smiling and laughing with Trucy, and when he looked over at Klavier and smiled at him too, Klavier decided he'd give anything to see that smile on Apollo's face more often. He stopped drinking again that day and got his life back in order before things got out of control. And things were good for a time after that.

Then it was Apollo who was broken, and it was Klavier's turn to fix him. The loss of his best friend hit Apollo hard, and he confessed to Klavier that he didn't think he'd ever be happy again, as he pushed away Wright and Athena and even Trucy. But Klavier stuck by his side, no matter if Apollo didn't want him to. For one terrifying moment, as Apollo accused Athena of murdering Clay, he saw his brother on the stand instead of Apollo. It was the first time it hit him that Kristoph played a bigger part in Apollo's life than he had realized, and he was scared Apollo was too trapped in his anger and fear and grief to find his way back. For a moment, he was worried he had failed Apollo, too. But Apollo had come back around to Wright's side and helped save Athena, and Klavier breathed easier. And when Apollo broke down that night, grieving his best friend, feeling ashamed over his doubt in Athena and the way he spoke to Wright, Klavier was there to pick up the pieces. He was glad Apollo never decided to take up Klavier's way of grieving into a bottle, but Apollo was broken for a long time after that. But time went on, and Apollo began to heal.

He stared at Apollo's contact number for a long time, remembering the conversation he had with Apollo not long before Kristoph's execution. _"Thank you, Pros—Klavier. For being there for me, for everything you've done. I know I've not been the best company since...well, for a while now. Thanks for sticking by me, even when I was a complete asshole to you. If you ever need anything, call. I'll always answer, no matter what, no matter the time."_

_"I'll always answer,"_ repeated over and over in his head as he stared at the number. Could he really do it? He starts to put his finger over the call button, but then he hears them. Daryan and Kristoph are back, screaming insults in his head again, telling him of course Apollo won't help him, telling him he doesn't deserve Apollo's pity. He drops his phone on the floor and covers his ears with his hands, shaking his head violently. He's been so drugged up for so long now that it's kept their voices muffled. But he hasn't taken enough today and they're only getting louder. He desperately grabs the fresh bottle he just got along with a fresh needle. He prepares twice as much as he usually takes into the syringe and plunges it into his arm, feeling relief immediately. He falls back onto Apollo's bed, and his last conscious thought is that the pillows still smell like Apollo.

* * *

A/N: Surprisingly, this story is near the end. Should be only a few more if anyone is not a fan of the Kristoph "adopted" Apollo theory. I just always kind of imagined that Kristoph did take him in for some period of time.

Thank you to everyone who reviewed/favorited/alerted! Thank you to PetiteSaki and LemonSmoothie for your feedback! Seriously, it's greatly appreciated. I haven't written anything for awhile so it makes me feel good. Hugs to you guys

Until next time...hopefully I'll update within the next week. Please keep reading and send a review if you can! :)

-Shayla


	5. Author's Note - Update will be coming!

A/N: I am working on the next chapter. I didn't want anyone thinking I forgot or left this story. The chapter is going to be a monster and I don't want to rush it or I won't write it properly. It contains the scene I imagined when I first thought this story up listening to Gone Forever, and I want to do it justice (ha Justice). It should be up in a week or two, probably closer to two. Please don't fret, I have not forgotten this story.

If you have any suggestions for scenes you want to see that fit with the story, let me know and I'll do my best to write them in :)

The next update will be the next chapter, and this note will be taken down. Please review, I would love it and it might help speed things along! :)

Thank you!

Shayla


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